Lewis Hamilton Faces a Podium-Free 2025 Season as Ferrari Struggles Continue
Lewis Hamilton is approaching the unprecedented possibility of completing a full Formula 1 season without a podium finish. In his first 18 races driving for Scuderia Ferrari, the seven-time World Champion has yet to secure a top-three result, a sharp contrast to his consistently strong performances earlier in his career.
Ferrari as a team has also fallen significantly short of pre-season expectations. With ambitions to challenge for both the Drivers’ and Constructors’ Championships, the iconic Italian outfit is currently more than 350 points behind newly-crowned McLaren in the Constructors’ standings. In the Drivers’ Championship, Charles Leclerc leads Ferrari, but is already 163 points adrift of current leader Oscar Piastri, highlighting the gap between Ferrari’s potential and their actual performance this season.
Although Lewis Hamilton has experienced winless seasons in 2022 and 2023, he consistently reached the podium at least five times each year. In 2025, however, the Monegasque driver has accounted for all of Ferrari’s podium finishes so far, leaving the Briton without any top-three results. During the Hungarian Grand Prix, Lewis Hamilton even suggested that he could be replaced, reflecting the low point of his current campaign, despite his contract with Ferrari running until the end of 2026.
David Croft Calls Hamilton and Ferrari 2025’s Biggest Disappointment
Speaking during Free Practice 1 at the United States Grand Prix, Sky Sports commentator David Croft described Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari as the “biggest disappointment” of the 2025 season. Croft emphasized that the highly publicized move of Lewis Hamilton to Ferrari, arguably one of the most significant driver transfers in Formula 1 history, had generated enormous expectations for success.
Croft noted that Lewis Hamilton briefly fulfilled these expectations by securing pole position and converting it into a win during just his second start in the Shanghai Sprint. However, since that victory, the seven-time Formula 1 world champion has failed to finish in the top three in any session or race format, intensifying scrutiny on both driver and team performance.
According to Croft, the combination of Lewis Hamilton’s talent and Ferrari’s history should have produced immediate results, but the reality has been starkly different. He remarked that while the Shanghai Sprint was a bright moment, it remains the only highlight in a season marked by underperformance and unfulfilled promise.
Jenson Button Offers a Balanced Perspective on Hamilton’s Form
Providing a contrasting viewpoint, Lewis Hamilton’s former teammate and Sky Sports analyst Jenson Button acknowledged the challenges but highlighted signs of progress. Button explained that Lewis Hamilton initially struggled with a lack of pace compared to his teammate Charles Leclerc earlier in the season, which contributed to his absence from the podium.
Since the summer break, Button has observed improved performance from Hamilton, particularly in race conditions. The two Ferrari drivers have finished within two positions of each other in every competitive session over the past three weekends, demonstrating a narrowing performance gap.
Button emphasized that although the British driver may still lag behind his Maranello teammate in qualifying sessions, his race pace and consistency have been encouraging. The former world champion noted that Hamilton’s improvement suggests he remains a competitive force within Ferrari, despite the early-season difficulties.
Ferrari Teammate Comparison: Leclerc vs. Hamilton
Charles Leclerc currently leads Hamilton 13-3 in the tally of races both have completed, and 13-5 in qualifying sessions on Saturdays. These statistics underscore the ongoing challenge for Hamilton in matching the performance of the Monegasque driver, while also highlighting the overall difficulties faced by Ferrari in 2025.
Leave a Reply